Mrs. California Maggie Jackson Balances Family, Advocacy, and the Road to Mrs. America

Maggie Jackson, this year’s Mrs. California, is stepping onto the national stage with a unique blend of purpose and authenticity. As she prepares for the Mrs. America pageant, Jackson is using her platform to spotlight one of the country’s most urgent issues: mental health and suicide prevention. Her story is one of resilience—turning personal tragedy into a mission that bridges public advocacy and private family life.

A Mission Born from Loss

Jackson’s mental health advocacy stems from a deeply personal experience. Twelve years ago, her brother, who battled bipolar disorder, died by suicide. “He often said, ‘I just want to feel normal. I want to have a normal brain,’” Jackson recalls. “There was a lot of fear and concern about the stigma—worry that if anyone found out about his bipolar disorder, maybe they wouldn’t give him the job or a girl wouldn’t date him.”

Out of that loss came the Your Mind Matters initiative. “According to the World Health Organization, we lose someone to suicide every 40 seconds,” she says. “It’s the second leading cause of death for young people in America. California has the second-highest suicide rate.”

Jackson has partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and is currently training in their “Ending the Silence” program, which brings mental health education into middle and high schools. “That was around the time my brother started struggling—we saw a little bit in middle school, but high school it really escalated,” she explains. “It was confusing because we wondered, is this just a wayward teen misbehaving, or is there something really there?”

Balancing Work, Family, and Pageantry

A TV host and mother of two young children, Jackson is candid about the realities of juggling her commitments. “I don’t really believe in perfect balance,” she admits. “My strategy is just always to be the most present where I’m at.”

Her approach is rooted in emotional well-being. “As long as my children see mom happy and whole—which is a lot of the mental health piece—then I think they’re happy too,” she says. Her husband has been a consistent source of encouragement. “You only live once. If you win, it’s only one year that you’re Mrs. California. We’ll figure it out.”

Family Values First

Jackson and her husband focus on raising their children with integrity and kindness. “Integrity is who you are when no one is looking,” she says. “Kindness is so huge—we talk about it all the time. When I was dropping off my son at camp this morning, he was getting to the age where kids are starting to pick on each other, and I said, ‘You always be kind no matter what. It’s karma—it ends up coming back to you.’”

This philosophy extends to her pageant participation. “Similar to how I said, putting your best self forward on the pageant stage, it’s every day. Do your best where you are. You don’t have to be the best, but you have to do your best.”

A Platform for Change

For Jackson, Mrs. America is more than a title—it’s a chance to make a difference. “There’s something about when you walk into a middle school with the crown and sash on and tell your story, it really makes an impact,” she notes.

Looking ahead, she envisions expanding her advocacy through the media. “Dream world would be to have a show that interviews people about their mental health journey, especially women, based on my personal experience.”

Leading with Authenticity

 “I’m an imperfect human who is constantly looking to make myself and the world better,” Jackson says. Her advice to her younger self is simple yet powerful: “That she is worthy.”

By embracing vulnerability and living her values, Jackson is showing how pageantry can be more than competition—it can be a catalyst for meaningful social change.